Resources
Here's a list of links and tools that I use and that you may find handy. This list will grow as I find more tools (and time to update).
Web Design & Development
Recommended Books:
I'm not a big fan of tutorial books since I prefer to learn with online resources, but I have to admit, this one is pretty good! You jump right into projects that are applicable to the real world - like designing business cards. I'm not finished with the book, but I'm enjoying it so far!
As one of the leading authorities on web usability, Jakob Nielsen's book is a must-have for any serious web designer. He's a big advocate for simplicity, and ease of use. What a concept huh?
These recommended tools are either inexpensive or free, so if you have little money to spare then this list is for you!
Color Wheel Pro - this is a unique software program that allows you to see color theory in action. With Color Wheel Pro, you can create harmonious color schemes and preview them on real-world examples. It's not a free tool but it is inexpensive, and if you're like me, a person who loves etchings in black and white, and is color-challenged, then this tool is for you!
Filezilla - an excellent and free FTP program. Like most of the tools I mention on this page, Filezilla is easy to use, and makes managing sites simple. And, it's got a great name!
Firefox Browser - if you don't already have Firefox installed, then, what's wrong with you?!?! This is a far better browser than IE, and has a much cuter logo!
Lunarpages Web Hosting - after my website suffered some serious downtime with my previous host and the poor customer service I received trying to get my site back up, I decided it was time to switch to Lunarpages. I reviewed many hosts and found Lunarpages consistenly receiving rave reviews with their support. It's true. I've contacted them several times and they have been courteous, knowledgable, and more surprisingly, talked to me like I was a genuine human being.
Style Master - This is an excellent CSS editor that is easy to use and was the most helpful tool in teaching me CSS. It is not a free tool but you'll be supporting a great small software company based in Australia.
Wordpress - I heart Wordpress! I use Wordpress not just for blogging, but as a CMS tool. It's easy to use, easy to set up, and easy to customize. And best of all, it's FREE! And yes, it's what I use on this site.
XAMPP - if you plan to do any web development in PHP, it's smart to develop and test locally before uploading to the web. This is where XAMPP comes to the rescue - XAMPP will install Apache, MySQL, PHP5 and Perl (!) on Windows, Linux, Mac, and Solaris machines, all in one shot. And because Apache, MySQL, PHP and Perl are all open source, by definition, XAMPP is FREE!
